A lack of ducks, and a surfeit of lbws
The most games since debut without being out for 0, captaincy on debut, three centuries in four days, and the players closest to 100 first-class hundreds
Steven Lynch
21-Jul-2009
James Anderson has gone 52 innings since debut without a duck - the most by an England Test player • Getty Images
I read that James Anderson has had more innings without a duck than anyone else. Can this be true? asked Darrell Johnson from London
James Anderson's first innings against Australia at Lord's was his 51st in Tests without being dismissed for a duck, which equalled the England record from the start of a career, set by Geraint Jones between 2003-04 and 2006-07. The bad news for Jones was that both his 52nd and 53rd innings were ducks, as he bagged a pair in what turned out to be his last Test. The Australian allrounder Alan Davidson started his Test career with 51 innings without making a duck (1953 to 1961), while Clive Lloyd's first 58 innings for West Indies (1966-67 to 1973-74) did not include one either. For several years the overall record was held by Sri Lanka's Aravinda de Silva, who went 75 innings from his debut in 1984 to 1994-95 without being out for 0, but the record was claimed recently by AB de Villiers of South Africa, who went 78 innings without a duck until finally bagging one against Bangladesh in Centurion in November 2008. Anderson does currently sit on top of the list of players who never bagged a duck in their entire Test career, although this will obviously change if he does eventually make one. The record for a complete Test career is 45 innings, by Pakistan's Yasir Hameed between 2003-04 and 2007-08 (he might also reappear; if he does and makes a duck, the record would revert to Australia's Jim Burke, who had 44 Test innings without being out for nought between 1950-51 and 1958-59).
James Anderson's first innings against Australia at Lord's was his 51st in Tests without being dismissed for a duck, which equalled the England record from the start of a career, set by Geraint Jones between 2003-04 and 2006-07. The bad news for Jones was that both his 52nd and 53rd innings were ducks, as he bagged a pair in what turned out to be his last Test. The Australian allrounder Alan Davidson started his Test career with 51 innings without making a duck (1953 to 1961), while Clive Lloyd's first 58 innings for West Indies (1966-67 to 1973-74) did not include one either. For several years the overall record was held by Sri Lanka's Aravinda de Silva, who went 75 innings from his debut in 1984 to 1994-95 without being out for 0, but the record was claimed recently by AB de Villiers of South Africa, who went 78 innings without a duck until finally bagging one against Bangladesh in Centurion in November 2008. Anderson does currently sit on top of the list of players who never bagged a duck in their entire Test career, although this will obviously change if he does eventually make one. The record for a complete Test career is 45 innings, by Pakistan's Yasir Hameed between 2003-04 and 2007-08 (he might also reappear; if he does and makes a duck, the record would revert to Australia's Jim Burke, who had 44 Test innings without being out for nought between 1950-51 and 1958-59).
In the second Sri Lanka-Pakistan Test there were six lbws in Pakistan's second innings. Is that a record? asked Ian from Australia
That recent match in Colombo provided the 14th case of six batsmen being out lbw in the same Test innings. But there have been two instances of seven, both of them recent: at Chester-le-Street in 2003, seven Zimbabweans were lbw, five of them to the England debutant Richard Johnson, while in Christchurch in 2004-05 Australia inflicted seven lbws in New Zealand's second innings. For the full list, click here.
That recent match in Colombo provided the 14th case of six batsmen being out lbw in the same Test innings. But there have been two instances of seven, both of them recent: at Chester-le-Street in 2003, seven Zimbabweans were lbw, five of them to the England debutant Richard Johnson, while in Christchurch in 2004-05 Australia inflicted seven lbws in New Zealand's second innings. For the full list, click here.
Is there anyone who has captained his side on Test debut? asked Siddharth Mahapatra from India
In total there are 32 people who have captained their country on their Test debut: for the full list, click here. Nine of these come from the Test-playing countries' inaugural matches (Pakistan's first captain, Abdul Hafeez Kardar, had already played for India). Of the rest, only two have been since 1952: Tony Lewis captained England on his Test debut, against India in Delhi in 1972-73, and Lee Germon skippered New Zealand in his first Test, against India in Bangalore in 1995-96. Both Frank Mann (1922-23) and his son George Mann (1948-49) captained England in their first Test matches.
In total there are 32 people who have captained their country on their Test debut: for the full list, click here. Nine of these come from the Test-playing countries' inaugural matches (Pakistan's first captain, Abdul Hafeez Kardar, had already played for India). Of the rest, only two have been since 1952: Tony Lewis captained England on his Test debut, against India in Delhi in 1972-73, and Lee Germon skippered New Zealand in his first Test, against India in Bangalore in 1995-96. Both Frank Mann (1922-23) and his son George Mann (1948-49) captained England in their first Test matches.
When was the last time the first Test of an Ashes series was drawn? asked Vivek Shankar from India
The last time (before 2009) was in 1998-99, when the first Test, in Brisbane, ended in a draw, with England being saved from probable defeat by a huge thunderstorm. Including the recent match in Cardiff, the first Test of an Ashes series of more than one match has now ended in a draw on 19 occasions.
The last time (before 2009) was in 1998-99, when the first Test, in Brisbane, ended in a draw, with England being saved from probable defeat by a huge thunderstorm. Including the recent match in Cardiff, the first Test of an Ashes series of more than one match has now ended in a draw on 19 occasions.
Which current English player (not necessarily an international) is the closest to 100 first-class hundreds? asked Brian Dena from the United States
The answer is the former England batsman John Crawley - but he's a long way short of 100 hundreds, as he currently has 54 first-class centuries. As Crawley is 38 in September, I think we can safely predict that he won't reach three figures. There are a few current players who are nearer 100 hundreds, but all of them are from overseas: Justin Langer has 85 first-class centuries as I write, Stuart Law 79, Ricky Ponting 72, Sachin Tendulkar 69 (unluckily for him, his 54 centuries in one-day cricket don't count as first-class), Murray Goodwin 58, and Rahul Dravid 56.
The answer is the former England batsman John Crawley - but he's a long way short of 100 hundreds, as he currently has 54 first-class centuries. As Crawley is 38 in September, I think we can safely predict that he won't reach three figures. There are a few current players who are nearer 100 hundreds, but all of them are from overseas: Justin Langer has 85 first-class centuries as I write, Stuart Law 79, Ricky Ponting 72, Sachin Tendulkar 69 (unluckily for him, his 54 centuries in one-day cricket don't count as first-class), Murray Goodwin 58, and Rahul Dravid 56.
Here is a quiz for you: can you name a person who scored three centuries in four days? asked Ali from Sweden
Well, I've found one for you: Surrey's Tom Hayward made 144 not out and 100 against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge between June 4 and 6, 1906, then added 143 on the first day of Surrey's next match, against Leicestershire at Aylestone Road, Leicester, on June 7. Hayward made 125 in the second innings of that game, so scored four first-class centuries inside a week. I'd be slightly surprised if there weren't some other instances, especially from English county cricket where for years almost everyone played two matches a week.
Well, I've found one for you: Surrey's Tom Hayward made 144 not out and 100 against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge between June 4 and 6, 1906, then added 143 on the first day of Surrey's next match, against Leicestershire at Aylestone Road, Leicester, on June 7. Hayward made 125 in the second innings of that game, so scored four first-class centuries inside a week. I'd be slightly surprised if there weren't some other instances, especially from English county cricket where for years almost everyone played two matches a week.
Steven Lynch is the editor of the Cricinfo Guide to International Cricket (reviewed here). If you want to ask Steven a question, use our feedback form. The most interesting questions will be answered here each week